Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has cautioned Governor Johnson Sakaja against transferring any county functions to the national government, warning that such a move could spark strong opposition.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, February 17, Sifuna raised questions over a signing ceremony reportedly scheduled to take place at State House.
His remarks came only days after Governor Sakaja dismissed claims that he intended to hand over some Nairobi County responsibilities to the national government.
The senator expressed surprise at the planned event, noting that it appeared to contradict the governor’s earlier assurances.
He warned that any attempt to shift county roles without following constitutional requirements would not be accepted.
Sifuna further argued that decisions involving the transfer of county functions must involve Nairobi residents and local leadership, stressing that transparency and public participation are essential before any such agreement can be reached.
He maintained that bypassing the laid-out legal and constitutional procedures would undermine devolution and could face firm resistance from both leaders and citizens.
This comes after State House Press Secretary Emmanuel Talam announced that a cooperation agreement between the National Government and the Nairobi County government is set to be signed at State House, Nairobi.
In a media invite issued on Tuesday, Talam indicated that the signing ceremony would take place from 3 PM, drawing attention amid growing debate over the nature of the planned partnership.
Notably, the development comes shortly after Governor Johnson Sakaja dismissed reports suggesting that he had ceded three county functions to the national government.
In a post shared on X on the night of Tuesday, February 10, Sakaja described the claims as false and insisted that no county roles had been transferred.
The Nairobi governor reiterated that his administration remains fully in charge of county responsibilities.
However, a day later, during his State of the County Address, Sakaja acknowledged that his government was working closely with the national administration, noting that Nairobi’s unique status as Kenya’s capital city makes collaboration unavoidable.
He clarified that while cooperation with the state is necessary and even encouraged, it does not amount to surrendering county functions.
Sakaja maintained that any engagement with the national government is aimed at supporting development and improving infrastructure, while Nairobi continues to operate under the county government structure as provided for in law.
